7 Community Development courses

This half day course is designed for voluntary and community organisations and those involved in community development who need to write funding applications and want to ensure that their bids are clear, focussed and meet the funders’ criteria.

One of the most frequent telephone queries we receive at Inclusive Solutions is from parents whose disabled son or daughter is about to make the transition from Primary to Secondary School. Typically there is a tale to be told of LA planning procedures that are too little and too late, and a severe lack of confidence from all parties that the transition will be successful. Little wonder that transfers from mainstream to special schools continue to peak at Year 7! COURSE CATEGORY Peer Support Strategic Work Visioning and Problem Solving Person Centred Planning DESCRIPTION One of the most frequent telephone queries we receive at Inclusive Solutions is from parents whose disabled son or daughter is about to make the transition from Primary to Secondary School. Typically there is a tale to be told of LA planning procedures that are too little and too late, and a severe lack of confidence from all parties that the transition will be successful. Little wonder that transfers from mainstream to special schools continue to peak at Year 7! Because of this we have put together a different kind of support plan that aims to maximise the chances of Primary/Secondary transitions being successful. In essence our approach brings together a person centred planning tool called ‘MAPS [https://inclusive-solutions.com/product/maps-process-step-by-step-guide/]’ and a ‘Circle of Friends’ recruited from within the Year 7 tutor group. The Circle of Friends forms the core of the MAPS [https://inclusive-solutions.com/product/maps-process-step-by-step-guide/] session and are central in developing (with parents and staff) a Plan for embedding the focus child in the new school setting. Community Circles bring together disabled and non disabled pupils in a network of mutual support. Peer support is an approach to impacting on inclusion and transition in primary and secondary schools by actively involving other pupils. Enjoy participating in a multi media workshop that will challenge, entertain and reach for your emotions. Watch young people doing their stuff! TESTIMONIALS > ‘It had a huge impact on all levels’ > ‘Very user friendly’ LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To be able to understand the values and wider context of peer support 2. To be able to set up and run a peer counselling scheme to reduce bullying 3. To understand and be able to maximise the power of the peer group in supporting relationships, achievement and behaviour change WHO IS IT FOR ? * Primary and secondary teachers * Heads and Deputies * SENCOs * Learning Support and Guidance staff * Advanced Skills Teachers * Parents * Local Authority Support Services * Community Development workers * Early Years and School based Practitioners COURSE CONTENT The course explores the questions : * How can we improve our transition arrangements? * Practically how do we go about involving pupils in this process? * Do you have any fresh ideas on transition processes? Take a tour through this range of strategies for bringing about smooth transitions, meeting challenging emotional needs and to develop inclusion. * Circles of friends: peer support and inclusion. Pupils work to problem solve with and actively support the inclusion and behaviour change of one of their peers * Community Circles of Exchange and Mutual Support set up between disabled and non disabled group * Peer support, counselling and mediation: reduce bullying and address emotional needs as older pupils offer active listening support and interventions * Cross Age Mentoring: older pupils offer supportive mentoring to younger pupils in the same school or in feeder primary schools * MAPS [https://inclusive-solutions.com/product/maps-process-step-by-step-guide/] and PATH [https://inclusive-solutions.com/product/path-process-step-by-step-guide/] as person centred planning for transitions

Local authorities are being encouraged to seek the views of young people in relation to the services they receive. Schools and the whole range of support services (e.g. behaviour support, youth offending teams, social services, CAMHS etc.) are being expected to routinely ask young people for their views. This goes beyond involving young people in plans that concern them e.g care plans, individual education plans, pastoral support plans etc. Online Course now available via Teachable Platform [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/courses] – Ask the Children [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/ask-the-children] Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/ask-the-children COURSE CATEGORY Peer Support DESCRIPTION Local authorities are being encouraged to seek the views of young people in relation to the services they receive. Schools and the whole range of support services (e.g. behaviour support, youth offending teams, social services, CAMHS etc.) are being expected to routinely ask young people for their views. This goes beyond involving young people in plans that concern them e.g care plans, individual education plans, pastoral support plans etc. This training will focus on how young people can be effectively engaged in giving their views and will present a model for use in evaluating services to young people based on the concept of resilience. This model enables young people to be clear about what has helped and hindered them in being able to overcome difficulties. It also provides a framework for evaluating the extent to which services are reducing risk and increasing protective factors to enable young people to develop the resilience. TESTIMONIALS > ‘Yet again inspiring and opening more doors than I can go through’? > ‘This opened a lot of avenues for thought and reflection. It will help me to > help colleagues to see where they can improve practice to create a more > inclusive environment within the whole school.’ > ‘Some great ideas and restored my self belief! Fantastic’ LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Strategies for engaging young people 2. Knowledge and Understanding of resilience In relation to system and environmental factors 3. Strategies for reducing risk and increasing protective factors In relation to Individual young people and services 4. Evaluation framework for services to young people WHO IS IT FOR ? * Youth offending teams * Social services * CAMHS * Primary and secondary teachers * Heads and Deputies * SENCOs * Learning Support and Guidance staff * Advanced Skills Teachers * Parents * Local Authority Support Services * Community Development workers * Early Years and School based Practitioners * Social work staff * Health Services COURSE CONTENT The course answers the questions : * How can we truly involve pupils? * Practically how do we go about listening to pupils views? * What if we do not like what they tell us? * How can we involve our most disaffected young people? Key themes * Tools for engaging young people and gaining their views * The concept of resilience * System and environmental risk and protective factors that impact on young people’s resilience * Reducing risk and Increasing protective factors * Resilience planning for Individuals and services * Evaluating services to young people If you liked this course you may well like: CIRCLES OF FRIENDS [https://inclusive-solutions.com/training/circle-of-friends-training/]

Circle of Friends is an approach to enhancing the inclusion, in a mainstream setting, of any child or young person who is experiencing difficulties in school because of disability, personal crisis or because of their challenging behaviour towards others. The ‘circle of friends’ approach works by mobilising the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty. Online Course now available via Teachable Platform [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/courses] – Creating Circles of  [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/creating-circles-of-friends]Friends [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/creating-circles-of-friends] Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support COURSE CATEGORY Inclusion Peer Support Behaviour and Relationships Autism and Communication DESCRIPTION Circle of Friends is an approach to enhancing the inclusion, in a mainstream setting, of any child or young person who is experiencing difficulties in school because of disability, personal crisis or because of their challenging behaviour towards others. The ‘circle of friends’ approach works by mobilising the young person’s peers to provide support and engage in problem solving with the person in difficulty. ‘Circle of friends’ is not the same as ‘circle time’ but many of the skills and techniques used by teachers in ‘circle time’ can be used to support the ‘circle of friends’ process. Over the past 12 years Colin Newton and Derek Wilson have been encouraging the use of ‘circle of friends’ in a wide variety of primary and secondary schools, often with very successful outcomes. Some of these are described in their books ‘Circles of Friends’, (Folens, 1999) and ‘Creating Circles of Friends’ (Inclusive Solutions, 2005). This is an excellent opportunity to learn from Colin Newton and Derek Wilson the educational psychologists who brought this Department of Education endorsed approach to the UK. Learn how to build teams around challenging pupils by drawing on a resource which is always there…. other children. Enjoy participating in a multi media workshop that will challenge, entertain and reach for your emotions. Circles of support are for us all, for life…. and they work! TESTIMONIALS > ‘Absolutely fantastic session – so thought provoking and positive.’ > ‘Well presented excellent course’ > ‘Wonderful, mind blowing day. Lots of children and young people there we need > to really see – not treat’ > ‘Excellent presentation, lively, modern, current – definitely got the > attention. Course gave great food for thought and I feel confident that this > way of working will have a place in the future of our school. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To be able to understand the values and wider context of inclusion 2. To be able to set up and run a ‘circle of friends’ to reduce likelihood of a pupil being excluded or segregated 3. To understand and be able to maximise the power of the peer group in supporting relationships, achievement and behaviour WHO IS IT FOR ? * Primary and secondary teachers * Heads and Deputies * SENCOs * Learning Support and Guidance staff * Advanced Skills Teachers * Parents * Local Authority Support Services * Community Development workers * Early Years and School based Practitioners COURSE CONTENT The course answers the questions: * What do you do with the child who is isolated by their aggression and anger, through being different, disabled or new to the school or community? * Practically how do we go about including high profile children or young people? * How can we help some children be friends? We will cover: * The importance of Welcome * Inclusion values underpinning this work * The Intentional Building of Relationships – ‘Circle of Friends’ work as an example * Not doing it alone – The Importance of Teams in developing inclusive practice * Practical setting up of circles of friends * Lessons learned * Stories of circles in primary and secondary mainstream schools ^ Circles of Friends Training in Kiev, Ukraine

Peer mediation is an approach to impacting on conflict resolution and bullying in primary and secondary schools by training pupils to be mediators or  ‘counsellors’. This well proven, highly effective method of impacting on school based bullying is still viewed by some as radical. In this workshop participants are introduced to the key components of successful schemes. Our trainers have first hand experience of setting up school based schemes and sustaining these over time. > Peer Mediation Training Guide > [https://inclusive-solutions.com/product/peer-mediation-training-guide/] Online Course now available via Teachable Platform [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/courses] – Peer Mediation [https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/peer-mediation/] Learn at your own pace… lots of text and video support https://inclusive-solutions-school.teachable.com/p/peer-mediation/ COURSE CATEGORY Peer Support DESCRIPTION Peer mediation or peer counselling is an approach to impacting on bullying in primary and secondary schools by training pupils to be ‘Peer Mediators’ or ‘counsellors’. This well proven, highly effective method of impacting on school based bullying is still viewed by some as radical. We can provide training for staff or direct training with students across the age range – typically delivered over 6 short high impact, interactive learning workshops. For staff training, participants are introduced to the key components of successful schemes. Our trainers have first hand experience of setting up school based schemes and sustaining these over time. Enjoy participating in a multi media workshop that will challenge, entertain and reach for your emotions. Watch young people doing their stuff! TESTIMONIALS > Thank you for the course – I really enjoyed it LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To be able to understand the values and wider context of peer support 2. To be able to set up and run a peer counselling scheme to reduce bullying 3. To understand and be able to maximise the power of the peer group in supporting relationships, achievement and behaviour change WHO IS IT FOR ? * Year 5 or Year 10 pupils * Primary and secondary teachers * Heads and Deputies * SENCOs * Learning Support and Guidance staff * Advanced Skills Teachers * Parents * Local Authority Support Services * Community Development workers * Early Years and School based Practitioners COURSE CONTENT The course answers the questions : * What do you do with major bullying problems in school? * Practically how do we go about recruiting and training pupils as counsellors? * Will pupils be hurt if we involve them with bullies? Key Themes covered within the direct student training as well as in the staff development sessions- include: * Issues of Confidentiality * Welcoming your ‘client’ * Using active listening skills * Using Open and Closed Questions to enable your client to tell you his or her story * How to reflect back feelings and how to check you have understood what the client has told you * Exploring options for resolving the bullying issue with your client                                                                                                             This video gives a brief taster [https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1IyIWXGOAi7PwpLLTbj5DpD4asY0EOd_s?usp=drive_open] of the work in a Nottingham Primary school. If you liked this course you may well like: PEER SUPPORT AS AN ANTI-BULLYING STRATEGY AT LOCAL AUTHORITY LEVEL [https://inclusive-solutions.com/training/peer-support-as-an-anti-bullying-strategy-at-local-authority-level/]

This half day course is designed for those people working or volunteering in groups or working on projects who would like some practical tips on making their marketing and publicity more effective.

Dance class for all abilities, advance booking recommended. Get your joy on with movement director and choreographer Darragh O’Leary. Pop routines to sweat and laugh too.